Washington, D.C. area audiences aren't the only theatregoers who will have the chance to see Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! in a new light. Portland Center Stage has announced that it will produce an all-African-American production of the classic musical this fall.

Rodney Hicks and Brianna Horne
Photo by Patrick Weishampel

Portland Center Stage artistic director Chris Coleman will direct the production, which resets the musical in an "all-black town." The staging will begin previews Sept. 20 and officially open Sept. 23. Oklahoma! will continue through Oct. 30.

In fall 2010, Arena Stage premiered a multicultural in-the-round production of Oklahoma! to acclaim in Washington, D.C. The extended production later returned for a summer 2011 engagement.

"Having an African American cast tell this story, for me, feels fresh, legitimate and perhaps newly resonant. For a musical that always risks feeling syrupy sweet, or cornnnnnnnny – grounding it in a real place and time, with real people who are building a life for themselves out of the land, and succeeding at a modest level – feels like it has the prospect of letting the whole thing breathe," Coleman said in a statement.

The cast will feature Rodney Hicks (Jacques Brel, Rent, The Scottsboro Boys) as Curly, Brianna Horne (Best of Both Worlds) as Laurey and Marisha Wallace (One Night with Janis Joplin) as Ado Annie.

Oklahoma!, the first collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, was originally titled Away We Go. Out-of-town tryouts saw the addition of the song "Oklahoma!," which was so rousing, it became the title of the musical as well.